To go or not to go, to a hotel or a homestay?

You must have encountered this dilemma before on any domestic or international vacations. Is it better to go to a hotel or a homestay?

There are many considerations regarding this and sometimes it might lead to arguments with your spouse, family members, and even friends.

To avoid that and facilitate a healthy discussion, here are 7 factors that you can consider!

#1: How Big is Your Group?

It could be just you and your partner, or 20-plus people including your relatives and friends. There are two general considerations here.

Firstly, if your group is small 2 to 3 people, a hotel might be a better idea for the following reasons:

  1. 1-room hotels have cheap standard rates of RM50 to RM200 per room depending on the quality.
  2. Hassle-free, as most necessities are available (toiletries, iron, etc.)

Secondly, if your group is big more than 3 people, renting a homestay might be better for the following reasons:

  1. Most homestays have multiple rooms you can share out. While it feels like a larger upfront payment, the cost per person might be cheaper than hotel rooms.
  2. Equipped with a kitchen that enables your group to cook for big groups.
  3. May have facilities that better accommodate socializing among yourselves such as living room, large dining table, barbeque pit, etc.

#2: What are the Expectations of the Trip or Vacation?

Expectations for the trip or vacation are very important. If you are traveling for business, it is better to live in hotels as they provide the following essential services:

  1. Food and Beverage
    You do not have to stress about finding food as you can usually procure food and drinks from the hotel. Furthermore, if you have an important meeting, most hotels have meeting rooms that you can reserve.
  1. Location and Transportation
    Hotels are typically located in the cities, closer to offices. Furthermore, they also have transportation services that they can arrange for you.
  1. Internet Connection and Place to Work
    Homestays usually have internet services, but hotels’ internet connections are typically better (though you might need to pay for it) and they do have a comfortable environment for you to work at.

However, if you are traveling for leisure, renting a homestay might be a good idea:

  1. More homey feeling
    This might not apply to everyone but accommodation that feels more homey increases your immersion in another place.
  1. Ability to cook
    This is especially important for budget-conscious people. Cooking is normally cheaper than eating out. Homestays typically have cooking facilities while hotels normally don’t.

#3: What is Your Budget?

When it comes to the cost of hotels and homestays, there are no hard and fast rules.

Typically, in Malaysia, hotel rooms could cost as cheap as RM50 or as expensive as RM700 per night. A homestay meanwhile costs above RM90 and could go up to RM1,000 per night as the space is normally bigger.

If you have a tight budget, cheaper hotels might be a better idea as the rooms are smaller and very standard. It provides the basics you need.

If you are looking to spend a bit more, homestays are a good idea especially if you appreciate the attractive and unique styles some homestays are decorated.

#4: How Do You Plan to Move Around?

This is an important question. Do you know why? Hotels are normally in ideal and prime urban locations. Homestays are normally in residential areas.

If you are planning to walk or utilize public transportation, hotels are the best place to live, as most of the attractions and public transportation are within walking distance from most hotels.

However, if you are driving, some hotels will charge for parking and while homestays normally provide free parking. Furthermore, if the hotel is full, you are not guaranteed to get parking while homestays usually have a dedicated parking spot for guests.

Reducing stress during traveling is important!

#5: How Often Will You be at “Home”?

This might seem odd but it is an important factor to consider.

Some people go out the whole day whether for business purposes or to visit other places. Some prefer to enjoy sitting around and enjoying the facilities in their accommodation.

Higher-end hotels may have professional services and facilities to enjoy individually without going out such as massage services or a gym to exercise in, while most homestays would not.

However, if you are looking to stay in and socialize among your group, a homestay would be more suitable.

That said, if you are the type to just want to dump your bags somewhere, be busy elsewhere the whole day, and then just come back to sleep, hotels might be better for you especially if you appreciate a neatly made bed.

#6: Are There Old or Disabled People in Your Travel Group?

This is straightforward. Most hotels are more equipped to service old or disabled people compared to a homestay.

Hotels have wheelchairs and disabled-friendly facilities for the disabled. If you stay in a homestay, there are no guarantees of this as residential owners are not required to provide such facilities.

For old people, you can put in a special request to hotel management to get rooms that are near the lift so that they don’t have to walk that far.

All in all, hotel staffs are more trained than homestay owners to cater to disabled and old people.

Conclusion

Finding accommodation in another place need not be a hassle. Choosing between a hotel and a homestay is the same thing too. You can consider these factors specified above to make your planning easier for your trip!

 

Planning to go on vacation? Let us know how you are planning for it!

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